Wike’s loyalist resigns as Fubara’s Chief of Staff

Chidi Amadi, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has resigned.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, confirmed Amadi’s resignation to the press on Wednesday.

Johnson said Fubara would announce a replacement for Amadi, a loyalist of ex-governor Nyesom Wike, at the appropriate time.

“The former Chief of Staff, Hon Chidi Amadi, has resigned. The governor will announce another Chief of Staff at the appropriate time.

“It is the prerogative of the governor to appoint when he wants it. He will tell us and we will announce it and you will also get the release to that effect,” he said.

Efforts to reach Amadi were unsuccessful as he neither answered several calls put across to his mobile line by our correspondent nor replied to WhatsApp and text messages sent to him on Wednesday night.

Amadi is Wike’s kinsman from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. His resignation brings to 10, the number of Wike’s loyalists who have left Fubara’s administration since the beginning of the political crisis between Fubara and his estanged political godfather, Wike. Amadi’s resignation comes on the heels of calls on Fubara to appoint a former factional Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, as Chief of Staff.

On January 3, the Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide, called on  Fubara to appoint Ehie as the Chief of Staff in compensation for standing by the government at the height of a plot by 27 lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike to impeach Fubara.

the plot to impeach Fubara led to the factionalisation of the Rivers State House of Assembly, with Ehie leading four members, while Martin Amaewhule, led 26 pro-Wike lawmakers.

In December, Fubara shunned the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers and presented the 2024 budget to the five-member Ehie faction, which passed the budget on December 13.

However, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, Fubara, as part of an eight-point resolution reached at Aso Rock in Abuja, was asked to recognise the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers and take the budget back to them for passage.

Weeks after the Abuja meeting, Ehie resigned his membership of the House of Assembly, writing the Independent National Electoral Commission that he ceased to be an Edo lawmaker.

Though Ehie did not give any specific reason for resigning, Fubara, speaking days later, said Ehie’s exit was part of calculated moves to give peace a chance and resolve the political crisis engulfing the state.

On Tuesday, the  Amaewhue-led Assembly, during its plenary at the Assembly quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, called on Fubara to bring the 2024 budget for fresh passage, saying the state was being run without a budget.

But as of Wednesday, Fubara had yet to comment on the request of the lawmakers, even as no state government official had reacted to the statement which may signal another round of crisis in the state.